Twitch is the biggest name in live-streaming. Launched in June 2011, Twitch quickly became the go-to home for video game streamers, growing to tens of millions of monthly viewers within just a few years. Amazon acquired the company in 2014, offering the commerce giant a powerful competitor to YouTube, with an audience the Google-owned video platform has struggled to reach. Twitch is best known for being home to Fortnite streamers like Ninja and Tfue; e-sports like Overwatch and League of Legends; and new phenomena, including Grand Theft Auto V role-playing. It’s also expanded beyond games to include activities like social eating and musical performances.
Apparently the foam pit at TwitchCon San Diego is so dangerously shallow that streamers are getting seriously injured from the concrete floor below. One con-goer is reporting a dislocated knee, while another broke her back in two places. Seems bad!
Megan Thee Stallion brought an unexpected guest on stage during her performance at TwitchCon: Master Chief. The stoic Spartan bumped to the music while Megan Thee Stallion did her thing, making for a mashup that... actually kind of works?
That’s Ryan Morrison, CEO of Evolved Talent Agency, which represents some of the biggest streamers around. And he’s right — as you can read in this investigation from my colleague Ash Parrish, who looked into just what’s going on with Amazon’s livestreaming service.
The news that Twitch will be reducing top streamers’ revenue share from 70 / 30 to 50 / 50 signals that the platform is no longer the ‘creator first’ entity that made it so popular.
Constance Knight, Twitch’s senior vice president of global creators, is leaving for a new opportunity, according to Bloomberg’s Cecilia D’Anastasio. Knight shared her departure with staff on the same day Twitch announced impending cuts to how much its biggest streamers will earn from subscriptions.
